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There is simply no doubt that technological advancements and innovations are gaining momentum in the past few years. It is overwhelming and at the same time gratifying to realize that almost everything we used to do manually can now be done with a single click, touch, or swipe. Technology has definitely changed our lifestyle in many ways that we actually realize. Some of these changes are good but some are not. The health implications of technology innovations are crucial facts we need to be aware of no matter how inconvenient they may be.

The use of mobile phones, gadgets, consoles, and other video games may not be as fun and entertaining when you realize the risk that your body is getting into. There are physical, psychological, and emotional effects that are attributable to technology use.

Among the common health implications of technology innovations are as follows:

1. Sleep Disturbance

With the invention of tablets and iPads, people can conveniently browse in their device while lying down on their beds just before snoozing off. However, studies have uniformly found that the blue light emitted by the screens of our devices such as cellphones, tablets, or E-reader at night can affect our sleepiness, alertness, and melatonin levels.

The study compared those who read using their device and those who read printed books and found that the former had a hard time falling asleep and felt groggy and tired the next day. Unfortunately, lack of good quality sleep is also linked to other health risks such as obesity and cancer.

This goes to show that technology must be used sparingly and at the proper time of the day.

2. Behavioral Problems

We often hear of the young boy who spends 12 hours or more glued to the TV screen or the computer playing video games. Excessive gaming has both psychological and physical health implications. They include muscular stiffness, tensed muscles especially the shoulders and lower back, cramps, depression, aggressive behavior, and acute seizure.

Behavioral Problems are linked to the excessive exposure to violent scenes and images in the games. Players tend to identify themselves with the characters and might have difficulty distinguishing what is reality and what is a mere portion of the game.

Technology is, indeed, one of the best sources of entertainment. However, when it comes down to health concerns, technology must be used in moderation.

3. Obesity

Technology can induce a sedentary lifestyle. It is quite unfortunate that we have adapted to a fast paced lifestyle where technology does everything and we don’t even need to lift a finger. Frequent use of devices can limit physical activity. For instance, children nowadays prefer to spend time sitting and watching TV than running outside or playing outdoor sports.

The good thing about the competitive mobile phone market is that the choices of models and units are expanding. It goes without saying that preferences in mobile devices always vary. There are those who choose a mobile phone based on processing capacity, some would like a good screen resolution, others are meticulous about the design and durability, while many are particular about the pricing and the value one gets for the device. If you are among the latter, it is either you are on a tight budget or you are simply just a practical buyer.

With today’s technology, one does not have to spend so much to get the best quality. By comparing prices , specs , and capability one can readily see that some mobile phones in fact offer the same functions and features with high end mobile phones for lesser price . Indeed, the best value for your money is a major consideration seeing that mobile phones have become a necessity.

If you are among the budget conscious here is a list to help you out in a most crucial decision you have to make which is choosing a good mobile phone at a limited budget.

Alcatel

Alcatel Mobile Phones is one of the three businesses under TCL Mobile Limited of Hong Kong. Alcatel One Touch is the popular name for their mobile phones. Like other mobile device manufacturers, the company is also entering the wearable devices market. For functionality and versatility , they have the Pixi line. Their Pop phones are recommended for those who prefer speed.They also have dual core phones for less than a hundred dollars such as the Pop series.

HTC

HTC smart phones run on Android OS. Recently, they have released units which run on Windows 8. Their product line includes HTC One and HTC Desire. HTC offers noticeably sleek designs that look just as elegant as other high end and overly expensive phones. For $549 , HTC desire provides impressive features such as a 13MP front camera and 3 microphones. Truly, it is more for less.

Huawei

Huawei offers dual core mobile phones for a price range of around $100. The Huawei Ascend series are also built with quad core with prices ranging from $100 to $200 dollars. The memory capacity does not disappoint . For a 16 GB phone such as the Huawei Ascend P2 LTE, you only need to spend a little over $200.

ZTE

ZTE is a Chinese company. It is recently gaining grounds in the mobile phone market .Their latest 4G model, the ZTE Blade is around $250 and already runs on Quad Core, with an 8MP auto-focus camera and an extendable memory of up to 32 G.

Our current mobile phones are as advanced and innovative as they are. This fact notwithstanding, we still have a lot to look forward to in terms of mobile phone technology and capabilities. This is because one of the distinguishing features of technology is its dynamism. The kind of technology we are using as of the moment is definitely not the same in 2 or 3 years time. There seems to be no stopping the inventions and creativity of people behind the gadgets and devices we enjoy today.

Furthermore, as mobile phones have been an essential part of our daily lives, they also adjust to the varying and changing needs of users and consumers. In the past, we only used the mobile phone for calling and texting. But recently, we needed our mobile phones to be a versatile all-in one gadget. Thus, the smartphone was created incorporating everything we need to go about each day .There’s the camera, video, audio features, and internet capability in most phones nowadays.

The thought of more developments in our modern mobile phones is both overwhelming and exciting. Here is a list of the features, capabilities, and technologies which make up the future of mobile phones.

1. Foldable Phones

Over the years, experts have been developing an industrial design that would allow mobile phones and other devices to be flexible and foldable. The benefits of convenience and practicality are easily conceived with this innovation. No matter the size of your screen, your device can easily fit in your pocket or purse. Samsung company is said to have been involved in this project and would release the units at the end of 2015.

2. Wearable mobile phones

Phones, nowadays, are not merely mobile but also become an extension of our very own bodies. Several wearable mobile devices involve watches and glasses. With this innovation, multitasking becomes speedier and tasks are completed more efficiently.

3. Crisp interface

Several mobile phone companies such as LG and Samsung are working on displays higher than 1080p resolution. This is good news for multimedia consumers particularly those who use their phone to play mobile games and watch movies and videos.

4. Improved processors

Just when you thought mobile phones couldn’t get any faster, here goes the announcement of manufacturers as to the development of a more advanced processing system. Developers are currently working on 64-bit processors to enhance functions. In the future, it is no surprise if people can accomplish more tasks and finish more transactions faster than usual.

If anything, these innovations show how mobile phone manufacturers put emphasis on mobility and efficiency which, after, all is what technology is all about.

The best thing about technology is that it has always something new to offer. The advancement, innovation, and improvements are dynamic. It is clear that there is no stopping the evolution of technology. The devices and gadgets we are using now may find it replaced by newer and more relevant technology innovation in 5 or 10 years.

It is only proper and fitting to look into some of the popular technology of the past decade to realize just how much technology has boomed in a short span.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows wireless data transfer from one gadget to another at a limited range. The earliest and, perhaps, the most popular utilization of this technology is for wireless communication between a mobile phone and hands free headset. It is also possible to have wireless communication between your mobile phone and your car stereo system. Among the many current and popular application of the Bluetooth technology are PC devices such as mouse, keyboard, and headset as well as laptops , modems, and even watches.

USB Flash Drive

Data storage has never been simpler, thanks to the Universal Serial Bus or USB . You have to admit that your first encounter with this miniature device put you in awe. Indeed, size doesn’t matter. USB Flash Drives can store data the size of up to 500 Gigabytes. The more common Flash Drives are available in 2, 4, and 8 Gigabytes storage capacity. Not only is this device suitable for storage but also helpful for data back-up and transfer of files from one computer to another.

Smartphone

Smartphones are not called ‘smart’ for no reason. It is an all in one device that caters to your everyday needs.

A smartphone is simply a phone with its own operating system. There is almost nothing a smartphone can do. It is equipped with technology that allows faster web browsing, video gaming, music streaming , and document viewing .Some of the most popular brands include Apple, Samsung, and Blackberry.

Wifi

Wifi connectivity is recently a selling point of many establishments such as stores, restaurants, and cafes. It is so popular that some cities have even created city-wide wifi accessibility. The best thing about this technology is that it allows you to be connected anytime anywhere.

Portable Music Player

The emergence of digital music was made possible with the creation of portable music players . When it comes to music players, Apple’s ipod shuffle and Sony’s walkman are the most popular . This technology appeals to the music lovers because it is very convenient and allows you to enjoy music without having to carry much weight around.

2014 was a good year for technology. In the previous year, we’ve witnessed several product launchings of gadgets and devices particularly the mobile phone. While the number of consumers that patronize mobile phones continued to increase, the array of choices in mobile phone brands and units also expanded. With this, the competition in the mobile phone industry has become tougher with several other players coming in the field. Manufacturers, as much as possible, come up with functions and features to make their products stand out from the rest.

On the other hand, consumers are faced with the dilemma of choosing the best brand and unit for them. Here is a list of the top mobile brands of 2014 to serve as a guide in choosing which brands may suit you this year. However, we should bear in mind that there is no single brand suitable to everyone. Each individual has varying preference and, thus, what’s best for one may not be best for another person.

1. Apple

The success of Apple in the mobile phone industry has been steady in the past few years. The first iPhone was introduced to the public in the year 2007. The initial units were classified per memory storage of 4G, 8G, and 16G. It was followed in 2008 by the release of the iPhone 3g, the iPhone 4 in 2010, and the iPhone 5 in 2012. It was reported that 2million iPhones were sold in the first 24 hours of pre-ordering and over 5 million handsets were sold in the first three days since its launching.

There is no doubt that iPhone is a very saleable mobile phone brand and this fact was only confirmed in 2014 with the release of iPhone 6.

2. Samsung

Samsung is a conglomerate based in South Korea and one of its most successful business ventures is its telecommunications division which manufactures the Samsung mobiles. Samsung mobile’s success is apparent in many Asian countries and greatly due to the fact that they have a variety of models and units to suit the needs of consumers. They have high end phones like the Galaxy and Note Series.

3. LG

LG is another player in the Smartphone market. Also based in South Korea, this brand offers competitive prices compared to other brands in the market. LG G3 is the newest Smartphone model offered by LG. It is also venturing into the wearables such as smart glasses and smart watches.

4. Sony

Xperia is Sony’s most popular mobile phone unit. Like most Smartphones, it utilizes the Android OS. Many users are unanimous in saying that the audio quality of Sony phones is one of its selling points.